Spring training starts today, so let’s hope to enjoy we can enjoy one more season before the lockout.
The Pirates have great uniforms, great fans, a great tradition, and possibly the best stadium in the MLB. I don’t know what they did to deserve this treatment.
I love Pittsburgh, and games at PNC Park are awesome (and the nightlife around the stadium kicks ass also). What a great team, with loyal fans and a long tradition. But the owners spend 0 money, pocketing all of the luxury tax. Shit on the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets and Red Sox all you want, they’re funding half the teams in baseball.
Red Sox are holding fast until the lockout. John Henry wants a salary cap, and because of that they’re not signing any high-end free agents. But, fan expectations dictate they have to at least be “in the running” or “showing interest.” So it’s been several years of “we just couldn’t make a deal,” after guarantees that “we think the time is now.” But - because of this, they do have a young team under control for a while, and finally a decent pitching rotation coming into spring training. Still a wild card team that gets bumped in the division series, but that’s better than it’s been.
Shall we make this a World Baseball Classic thread as well? Because we’re about to get treated to some great games— I’m watching Nicaragua v. Dominican and it’s already hot in the first inning.
The WBC is fucking awesome. The vibe and energetic fun that the Winter League nations have brought in to the tournament is off the charts. Why can’t we get Winter League games on TV or even highlights here? It’s not like it isn’t good baseball.